Pneumatically-actuated musical instrument.



PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

1;. s. VoTEY. PNBUMATIGALLY AGTUATED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION P ILED JUNE 24,1901.

PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

E. S. VOTEY. n PNBUMATIGALLY ACTUATED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24. 1901.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. PATENTED MAR.. 6, 1906. E. S. VOTEY. f vPNEUMATIGALLY vAC'IUATBD .MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILEDA JUNE 24,s 1901.

4 SHEETS--SH-BET 3.

/f/s ATTORNEYS.

No. 814,176. PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906. E. S. VOTEY.

PNEUMATIGALLY ACTUATED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNI: 24, 1901. v

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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A INvINIoH bow da? /f/ ATTORN EYS IvS UNITED sTATEs EDWINS. VOTEY, OF SUMMIT, NEW

UO., OF NEW YORK, Y.,

`PATE NT OEEIOE.

PNEUMATICALLY-ACTUATED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT:

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March e, 190e.

Application led'J une 24, 1901. Serial No.,65,783.

1b. all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN S. VOTEY, a citizen of theUnited States,

Union county, State of New Jersey, have invented certaln new and useful Im rovements in Pneumaticall -Actuated Musical Instruments, of which tllie following is a specification. IMy invention relates to mechanicallyplayed musicalinstruments.

My invention is particularl adapted to orfrans comprising a pluralitv-ofysets of manualcys, by means of whic different sets of pipes comprised therein-as, for example, swell-organ, great organ,l &c.-may be played; and the object of my invention is to provide mechanisms for such organs under the control of a perforated music-sheet, whereby such an organ may be layed to obtain any and all effects obtaine by its operation throu h the manual-keys thereof.

I will dgescribe a mechanical musical instrument embodying my invention and then point out the novel features .'thereof` in claims.

In the-accompanying drawings, Figure 1- is a vertical sectional viewof a portion of a mechanical musical instrument embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail rear elevatlonal view of a switch device mechanism comprised in the invention. Fig.

v3 is a detail vertical transverse sectional View of the switch device on the plane 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail elevational view of a part comprised in the instrument. Fig. 5 is a detail view. 'Fig 5'* is a detail of the same part inl inverted. plan view. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of an organ conventionally shown having an attachment embodying my invention for playing the same, the latter being diagrammaticall elevation of t e tracker-board.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts infallthe figures.

eferring now to' Fig. 6, in which is illustrated an organ comprisin two sets of soundproducing devices-W and the former bemg the swell-organ arid the latter the great organ, andthe usual manual-keys for causing the speaking of sound-producing devices bem omitted, w represents longitudinal win -chambers, and. w the djicts leading ,from such chambers to the pipes W and W.

are the pallets, both in communication residing at Summit,`

and its operating' illustrated. Fig. 7 is a frontV with a wind-supply; X X, wind-ducts communicatin with the pallets, and Z Z valves for control ing the ducts vX X. The valves Z Z are moved by electromagnets Z* Z3, as will be hereinafter described. pipe-organ will be read-il those' skilled in the art, andI describe it more in detail. shown as provided vwith the understood` byv hence Will nOt such, for examp e, as oboe tones, viola tones, &c.-which banks or sets are controlled by the usual stops. These stops and the banks or sets of ipes are not here shown, The circuits of tlie magnets Z2 `Z3 are brought. into junction-plates Q Q', the lCircuits from'jthe magnets of the swell-,organ pipes rvbeing brought into the junction-plates Q andthe circuits from the magnet ofthe lgreat-or an pipes into the junction-plates Ina dition I provide the following-described p'neumatic and electromagnetic means for causing the ipes of the swell and great organs to s ea which means are controlled by a trave ing perforated music-sheet. In the mef chanical operation of an organhavinga pluralit of sets of pipes as,J for eXample,` :a swel -organ, great or'gan, &c.,-atrackerboard having ay plurality of 'sets of ducts or passa es, one set of ducts or openin s for each set o pipes or sound-producing evices, is preferably employed. y In the present instance a tracker-board'havin two sets of ducts .or passages-in short, 'a f ouble tracker-boardis shown asjbemg employedtooperate the two sets of sound-producing devices herein re-l nferredto as 'tlfibfswellandy reetorgans'. A represents thel tracker-,boar having the two sets of ducts or passa es a a. The ducts or passages are staggere as shown in Fig. 1, for convenience in manufacture. The two sets of ducts or passages maybe considered asseparate tnagker-v boards. The upper tracker- The form of The organ is y usual banks or j sets of pipes forgiving different tone effectsboard is providedwith ifty-elght ducts or passag s and isadapted to control the speak- Ing o fty eight pipes, ywhile the lowerl tracker-boardl 'provlded lwith ninety-two ductspr passages and controls the s eaking of ninety-two pipes, vThe number o ducts or passages in eachy tracker-board may be 11n-y creased',v or diniinished.Vv The upper tracker.-vl bqardwhenvinusecontrols, byy means of suit-` able' coupling devices, they speakinggof the' IOO the other set of ducts or pipes comprised in the swell and great organs either separately or in unison, and the lower tracker-board also controls the speaking of the pipes in the swell and great organs in unison or as solo and accompaniment, as the same may be coupled, as hereinafter explained. The ninety-two ducts of the lower tracker range are divided in two sets of fortysix each, one set being allotted to the accompaniment and the other to the solo. The accompaniment has connections for the lowest forty-six notes of the great and swell organs, and the solo is similarly connected for the upper forty-six notes of the reat and swell organs, so that various combinations can be produced as required. While one set of ductsV or passagesin the tracker-board is being used in connection with a perforated music-sheet passages therein is rendered inoperative.

B B represent a pair of exhaust-chests. Provided in each chest is a pneumatic b, which is placedover a vent b', opening to the atmosphere through a conduit b2. The spring of the pneumatic, as usual, tends to collapse, the leakage being suflicient to permit this when the atmosphere is not admitted to its interior. The end of this conduit is controlled by a damper or valve b9, operated by a stop b1, and when the dam er or valve is over the Vconduit the pneumatic is collapsed. b3 b4 represent pallets or valves moved by the pneumatic t. r

Each chest B B is provided with a branch or extension B2, which is open to the atmosphere at b5.

In the collapsed positions of the pneumatics b the valve-pallets b3 close the openings between the chest B B and their extensions B2 and the pallets t* open the extensions B2 to the atmosphere. When the pneumat- `ics b are expanded, (and this is so when the valves or dampers ofthe conduits of the pallets ?)3 b4 Iare as shown in the upper part of Fig. 1,) the extension Bz'is then open to the exhaustchest B or B, as the case ma be. Consequently these connections furnish means for connecting and disconnecting the exhaust with the pneumatics controlled fromv either the upper or the lower set of trackerholes and rendering either set inoperative at will by the cutting off of theexhaust from the corresponding passage B2.

C represents a chest or chamber containing a plurality'of diaphragmsc.. Each diaphragm c is directly over a .vent c .of a passage cg, which passage forms a continuation of a passage in the tracker-board. v For each d uct or opening in each tracker-board there is provided aXvent and diaphragm c. Ther diaphragm in its movement operatesa rod'c3,` These which carries a pair of pallets c4 c5. pallets are located in a chamber which acts as a communication between a conduit c and the interior of the chest C through a vent organs.

-which the contact-fingers coact.

contact-finger g4 is slight] c7. When the pallet c4 is othe vent c7, the chest C is in communication with the conduit c. It may be well to state here that the chest C is in communication with the extension B2 through a conduit c. The end of each conduit c6 is connected with one end of a passage d, which passages d are provided in channel-boards, and at the other end of each passage is a pneumatic D. y.Normally the pneumatics D are expanded. When, however, a conduit c6 is opened to the exhaust-chests B or B, its pneumatic D is collapsed. (See the upper pneumatic D in Fig. 1.) Each pneumatic D is provided with a .vertical rod d2, and each vertical rod d2 is adapted to move a' contact da into engagement with a bar d4. The bar d* is common' to all the contacts d and is connected to one pole of a battery S. (See Fig. 6.) Each contact d has connected to it a conductor-wire d, and the several wires are arranged in sets and lead to a switch mechanism. (Shown in Figs. 2 and 3.) Each contact d3 in connection with the bar constitutes a makeand -break. For convenience the sets of wires are arranged in cables. All of the wires of the contacts d?, operated by the upper row of pneuniatics, (see Figs. 1 and 3,) are gathered in one cable E. These wiresmay include the magnets controlling 'the speaking-pipes comprised in theA swell and great organs and are used only when the `upper set of ducts or passages of the'double tracker-board are in use. The contacts da, operated by the two lower rows of pneuinatics, (see Fig. 4,) and whichV are operated from thel` lower set of openings in the double tracker-board, are divided into two arts-a solo part, comprising the upper orty-six notes of the great and swell organs, and an accompaniment part, comprising the lower forty-six notes of the great and swell (See Fi 2.) The wires d5 of these contacts are gat iered in twocables E E", res ectively.

he several cables E E E2 are brought into proximity to the switch device, which is shown more'particularly in Figs. 2 and 3. The switch device consists of a plurality of switches G G', G2, G3, G, and G5. Each switch, as here shown, comprises contact-iingers g3 g* and a bar or rod g, carrying diametrically opposite contact-points g g2, with Normally the contact-finger g3 is always in engagement with the contact-point g. Upon the partial rotation of the rod g the other contact-point g2 is brought into engagement with the .contact-finger g,"th`us completelyclosing a circuit through the two fingers and the contactpointsi To insurea breakv in this circuit-v when the switch is in its normal position, the bentat its end. (See Fig. 5.) The parta rotation of each bar or rod g is accomplished through a pneumatic H, the movable member oli' which is y connected to the bar imity with the switches G wire therein is connected to a contact-iin erl ted to speak.

' videdy with six stops h for the six or rod through a rod 71, and an arm h. 'i Each'pneumatic H is open to one end oi' a Aassage vh, the other end ol which is vented) to the atmosphere and-to an exhaust-chest h3. Pallets h h5, operated by a pneumatic h in the chest h, control the vents ofthe passa e h". The pneumatic h is -vented to one en of a passage h, the other end of-which passage is vented to the atmosphere and an exhaust h. Pallets It h1", operated by anl electromagnet h, control these vents. Themagnet h is included in a circuit comprising a battery and a switch h". `A switch 1s provided for each ma et h, and a stop h is provided to move eac switch.

lFor each wire in eachv cable thereisfprovided a pair of contact-fin ers gs g* anda pair of contact-points g g. he cable E, containing the wires or operating from the'upper row of tracker-holes, is brought into proxand G', and each Each contactinger of the switch is connected b a wire-'1 with a junctionlate Q, so that w ien the rod g of this switch 1s rotated to niaketlie circuit complete through the contact-lingers g and contact-points g g2 a pipe in the swe-'organ will be permitted to speak. Each contact-finger g of the switch G is connected by a wire 2 with a junctii'in-.platc Q, of the rod g of this switchto complete a circuit a pipe in the great organ will be permit- .lhe cable E', containing the wires for operating the magnets controlling the upper forty-six notes of the great and swellorgans,

is brought into proximity to the switches G2 G, so that the wires therein may be connected with the contact-fingers g comprised in these switches. The contact-fingers g of the switch G2 are each connected by a wire 4 with the junction-plates Q, and the fingers g of the switch G are cac i connected by wires 5 with the junction-plates `The cable E2, containing the wires for operatingr the inagnets controlling thel lower forty-six notes of the great and swell organs, is brought into proximity to the switches G and. G, and each wire in said cable is connected with the contact-fingers g 'comprised in these switches. The contact-lingers g* of the switch Gare connected by a wire 6 with, the junction-- plates Q, and the contact-fingers g ofthe switc i G5 are connected by wires 7 with the junction-plates Q.

The organ shown in the drawings is proswitches G,

follows: ,Y G,

(1 &c., which lare marked as Swell ZEoliam G', Great Swell solo G3, Great solo, G, Swell accompaniment G, Greataccoinpaniment In the operation l upper set of passages of the tracker-board are being used in connec- 'oboe bank of -of switch G2 and the stop of. switch G5.

so that upon the rotation.

Idevices,

ZEolian G2,

y of the musical instrument, vand assuming thatthe tion with a perforated music-sheet, the in?,r 0f the stop i of the switch G will cause the'pipes in the swell-organ to speak, or by pulling the stop 71" of the switch G pipes in the great or an may be caused to speak. If desired, vbot i of the stops hw of the switches G and Gf may be pulled, so that the swell and great organs may be played in unison. In this way the same effect is obtained with the perforated music-sheet as that obtained b playing the organ through' the keys thereo he same istrue of the/switches G2, G3, G4,

pulland G5 when the lower set of ducts or openj l ings in the tracker-board are used in connection with a perforated music-sheet. In the Ause of the lowerl set of ducts or passages, and

assuming that a solo is to be played in the pipes in the swell-organ and an accompaniment inthe viola bank of pipes in the great organ, it is necessary first to pull the oboe and viola stops and then to pull the stpp n this exam le the music-sheet would have to be cut so t at the solo-notes would be within the ran e of the upperforty-six ducts or passages o the tracker-board and the accomaniment part within the range of the lower ibrty-six notes. If, however, the`solo is to be played on the viola bank of pipes in the great organ and the accompaniment on the oboe bank of pi es in the swell-organ, it is necessary .to pu l the stops of switches G3 and G4. If both the swell 4and great organs are to be played in unison, it is necessary to pull the stops of switches G2, G3, G4, and G5. Of course the -music-sheet will haveto be proper1 cut for the tone effects to be obtained.

lllhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 1. The combination of the tracker-board havin two sets of traeker-lioles, two or more sets o sound-producing devices, and connections for playing them rom either oi' said sets voi tracker-holes', one of the said sets of trackerholes having solo and accompanimentl sections and connections for connecting either section at will to either or both said sets, of soundreducing devices, for substantially the pu poses set forth.

v2. In a musical instrument, a plurality of independent sets of sound-producing.devices having different characters, a tracker having two sets of ducts, each set disposed in a separate lon itudinal line, one of said sets of tracker-ucts being greater in number than the Aother and divided into two sections for controlling two sets of said sound-producing and means for connecting said sets vof ductswith said' sets of sound-producing devices.

independent sets of sound-producing devices having different characters, a tracker having two sets'of duets,

rate longitudinal line, one of said y,sets of 3. In a musical instrument, a plurality of IOO each set disposed in a sepaing devices, and means forl rendering thel other set of ducts inoperative.

4. In a musical instrument, a plurality of' sound-producing devices, two sets of trackerducts, one of which is greater in number than the other and is'divided into two sections each comprising a plurality of ducts, means for rendering the set of ducts of lesser number inoperative, and means for alternativelyconnecting either of the separate sections of the other set ol' duets to either oic two sets of sound-producimr devices.

5. In a musical instrument, a plurality lof independent sets of sound-producing devices, a tracker having two sets of ducts, each set disposed in a separate longitudinal line, one of said sets of tracker-ducts being greater in number than the sound-producing devices in one set thereof and divided into two sections, each comprising a plurality of ducts connected with one of said sets of sound-producing devices, and means for alternatively connecting either of said independent sets ol' trarkmducts with said sound-producing devices.

In a musical instrument, a plurality of independent sets of sound-produeing devices having different characters, a tracker having.

-upper portion of one set of sound-producing devicesaiid the other section of said trackerducts with the lower portion of another set of sound-producing devices.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication iii the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWIN s. voTEY. Witnesses F. R. WYoKoFF, GEO. E. CRUSE. 

